Chapter 372
When Grace finished work at the restaurant, she said to Kyla Corbyn, her lady boss, “Kyla, may I take tomorrow afternoon off? I wish to visit my mother’s grave and pay homage.”
Although the following day was Tomb Sweeping Day, a
national holiday, holidays often meant that restaurants would
be packed. Naturally, restaurant workers were usually not
allowed to take leave on national holidays.
Kyla Corbyn was quite shocked that Grace’s mother had passed away. Hence, she said, “Okay, no problem. Since
you’re going in the afternoon, ask the kitchen to prepare a few dishes for you to bring to the grave as an offering.”
“Thanks but it’s alright. I will prepare them myself.” Grace wanted to cook the dishes for her mother herself.
When Grace’s mother was still alive, she was still a young
child. Now that Grace had become an adult and knew how to cook, she wanted to show her skills to her mother.
“Then I shall go home now,” Grace said.
“Okay.” Kyla Corbyn seemed to have something that she
wanted to say, but she kept it to herself in the end.
‘Since Grace said that she isn’t close with Brian, there is no
need for me to drag Grace into this. As for Brian, I’ll just have
to make a visit when the time comes.
After Grace left the restaurant, she did not return immediately
to the Reed Residence. Instead, she went to the supermarket and bought some fish, meat, and vegetables. She then rode her electric bike to a shop that sold prayer items.
“Granny Fan, please get me the usual three sets of incense sticks and ingots.” Grace said to the old lady who was well over 80 years and was sitting inside the shop. Each year,
before Grace went to the grave to offer her mother prayers and offerings, she would come to the same shop to buy the same things. This of course was an exception for when she
was serving her sentence.
“It’s Grace. You’re going to the grave tomorrow.” Granny Fan flashed an almost toothless smile at Grace.
“Yes, it’s me,” Grace responded.
“You’re going to cook a delicious meal for your mother again.” Granny Fan made small talk with Grace as she packed the latter’s items. “You never came in the past 2 to 3 years to buy these items. I was just wondering if you’d come this year.”
“Before this… um… I had a few matters that prevented me
from coming here.” Grace replied as she took the items from Granny Fan.
“It has been so many years, your mother must be resting in
peace knowing she has such a filial daughter.”
‘Filial?’ Grace mocked herself internally. ‘How unfortunate. I couldn’t even keep the photo album that my mother
treasured.
‘Now… even if I wanted to be filial to my mother, I no longer have the opportunity. All I can do now is keep my mother’s grave clean.’
After bidding farewell to Granny Gan, Grace rode her electric bike back to the Reed Residence. However, after entering the house and heading for the kitchen, a cold voice rang from across the living room, “Why are you late today?”
“Ahh!” Grace yelled. She nearly dropped the incense, ingots, and vegetables that were in her hand. Subsequently, the living room lit up and she saw Jason sitting on the living room sofa.
“Why were you sitting on the sofa in the dark?” Grace asked.
“I was waiting for you.” Jason said as he stood up to approach her. “What about you? You haven’t answered my question.”
Grace pursed her red lips. “After finishing work at the
restaurant, I went to buy some ingredients, incense, and ingots. I’m going to visit my mother’s grave tomorrow.”
‘Visit her grave…” Jason’s gaze landed on the back of the ingots and incense. “Oh yes, tomorrow is Tomb Sweeping Day. It’s time to visit her grave. Unfortunately, I can’t accompany
you tomorrow.”
Grace was stunned at first. She was not expecting him to accompany her to the grave, but his words… Grace recalled that his father had passed away as well. Therefore, he was probably going to visit his father’s grave.
One was going to visit their mother’s grave, while the other was going to visit their father’s grave. At times, they seemed like people in similar situations.
